Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-04
WHAT WAS II?
Chief Justice Waite Receiver a Queer.
Suspicious, Dangerous Look
inc Box

WASHINGTON. Nov. Am attempt was
made tonight, either to kill or MAIN Chief
Justice Waite, of the United States su-
prene court, or TO perpetrate silly hoax.
About $50 4 small box was sent to his
house through the special delivery postal
service: 1t was a pasteboard box about
ten inches by six, looking something like
Valentine box, and was addressed in a
small, cramped and apparently disguised
back hand writing to the Hon. Chief JUS
tice Waite, No AS. Il" street,
\. w, Washington, D. {.
Near the bottom were the words, import
ant papers," underscOred. The thing en-
closed was q glass tube about ten inches
long and OF the diameter OF q lead pencil
The tube was bent at an angle OF about
sixty degrees, and was fastened TO the box
| by means OF a small piece OF heavy paper
pasted over it. The tube for most OF its
length contained a jet black liquid, but
about one and half inches from the end
was percussion cap separating the fluid
from little more than an inch of coarse
powder, apparently what IS known as
Atlas powder At the other end of the
powder was another percussion cap and
to this was attached the wire which
was apparently intended to explode the
tube. Ii the machine is really what II
seemed TO be it was the intention OF the
tube TO explode it, 1t was found, however,
connection had been slipped off Its place
presumably through the force used by
clerk III the pOstofiice and thus the ma
chine was defective. There are clrcum-
stances which lead to the suspicion that
the affair is a hoax. The person through
which the matter was brought to the po-
lice was a young man who sells items TO
newspaper correspondents and who is not
regarded trustworthy. His name is with
held at the request OF the police to
whom he told substantially the following
story: About o'clock he went to the post
office to mail letter and going TO one OF
the desks 10 address it he noticed a man
putting the name of Chief Justice Waite
on a box. He says he thought nothing of
it at the time and therefore did not OBJ
serve him closely enough to be able to
identify him. When On the street,
however, the thought came to
him that there was something
suspicious about it, inasmuch as the
chief justice had on Wednesday delivered
the opinion denying a writ OF error to the
condemned Chicago anarchists. He there
upon went to the home OF the chief justice
and inquired of him if he had received a
box The chief justice said he had not and
the young man then went to the poStOtfice
and ascertained that the box had been de
Hveerd at $50 o'clock. He next informed
the correspondents OF the Chicago
tribune ana CINCINNATI commercial Ga-
Zette of the matter and offered to sell them
a story about it. The correspondents de
sired to make further investigation and
went to the police station and told the
story to Detective Sergeant Hollanberger,
who Immediately called on the chief JUS
tice, whothen acknowledged receiving the
box, and gave it to the sergeant. The
chief justice said he had received the box
while at dinner and had opened it, but
without being harmed, the wire
which was to have exploded it hav
ing been detached as already stated.
Mr. Waite did not attach any Importance
to the box and said he thought it sensa-
tional hoax. The sergeant took the box to
police headquarters where it is now held as
evidence Sergeant Hollanberger said he
had no clue to the sender of the box and
that the young man was unable to give any
description of the man whom he had seen
addressing it before mailing it.